Tai-Pan (film)

Tai-Pan
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Daryl Duke
Produced by	Raffaella De Laurentiis
Written by	John Briley James Clavell Stanley Mann
Starring	Bryan Brown John Stanton Joan Chen
Music by	Maurice Jarre
Cinematography	Jack Cardiff
Edited by	Antony Gibbs
Distributed by	De Laurentiis Entertainment Group (DEG)
Release dates	November 7, 1986 (1986-11-07)
Running time	127 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English
Budget	US$25 million[1][2]
Box office	$2 million[3]

Tai-Pan is a 1986 film directed by Daryl Duke, loosely based on James Clavell's 1966 eponymous novel. While many of the same characters and plot twists are maintained, a few smaller occurrences are left out. Filmed under communist Chinese censorship, some portions of Clavell's story were considered too offensive to be filmed as written and considerable changes were made.

The De Laurentiis Entertainment Group handled the production and were actively seen battling the Chinese Government and Labor boards over the film during shooting. The results fared poorly at the box office and in critical reviews. Duke believed that a mini-series à la Shōgun or Noble House would have been a far superior means of covering the complexity of Clavell's novel.

Plot

The film begins following the British victory of the First Opium War and the seizure of Hong Kong. Although the island is largely uninhabited and the terrain unfriendly, it has a large port that both the British government and various trading companies believe will be useful for the import of merchandise to be traded on mainland China, a highly lucrative market.

Although the film features many characters, it is arguably Dirk Struan and Tyler Brock, former shipmates and the owners of two massive (fictional) trading companies who are the main focal points of the story. Their rocky and often abusive relationship as seamen initiated an intense amount of competitive tension.

Throughout, both men seek to destroy each other in matters of business and personal affairs. Struan is referred to as Tai-Pan (which author Clavell translates as "Supreme Leader," although this is not the accepted translation of the term) indicating his position as head of the largest and most profitable of all the trading companies operating in Asia. Brock, owner of the second largest of the trading companies, constantly vies to destroy Struan's company and reputation in an attempt to both exact revenge on Struan and become the new "Tai-Pan" of Chinese trade.

While the film follows a similar structure as the novel, one major and notable event is left out. Struan's meeting with Jin Qua early in the film to obtain the forty lac dollars of silver to pay Brock omits Jin Qua's stipulation that four special coins be broken in half, with Struan keeping four halves and the other four being distributed by Jin Qua. When a half coin is presented to Struan that matches his own half, he is obligated to do a favor to the bearer. The first favor is called in later in the novel, by the pirate Wu Kwok. The film does not convey this.

Cast

Production

Earlier Proposed Versions

There had been numerous attempts to film Tai Pan over the years. Martin Ransohoff and MGM bought the rights in 1966 for $500,000 with Clavell writing the script.^[4]

Patrick McGoohan was announced to play Dirk Struan in the film with Michael Anderson attached to direct. However the movie would have cost an estimated $26 million (later reduced to $20 million^[5]) and was postponed.^[6][7] It lingered on for a number of years before being finally cancelled by James T. Aubrey.^[8]

In the mid 70s it was announced Run Run Shaw had bought the rights from MGM and would collaborate with Universal Studios to make a $12 million film. Carl Foreman wrote a screenplay.^[9][10] However no film was made.

In the late 1970s Georges-Alain Vuille obtained the rights and George MacDonald Fraser was hired to adapt the novel.^[11] Fraser's script met with approval - Vuille hired him to write a sequel - Richard Fleischer was attached to direct, and Steve McQueen agreed to star for a reported fee of $10 million. However he later dropped out of the project.^[12]

Roger Moore became briefly attached, with John Guillermin mentioned as director of a possible mini series. However finance could not be arranged. "If it's offered to me again I'll do it," said Moore. "Quite frankly, it's one of the best scripts I've ever read."^[13] For a time Sean Connery was mooted as star.^[14]

Vuille eventually lost the rights and Fraser's script was not used in the final movie.^[12]

However the popularity of the novel and TV series of Shogun made Tai Pai continually attractive. In late 1983 it was announced Dino de Laurentiis had the rights.^[15] He set up the film with Orion.^[16]

Production

The movie was directed by Daryl Duke and starred Bryan Brown, who had worked together on The Thorn Birds.

It was the first English language movie shot in China. Shooting was extremely difficult, due in part to abundant red tape.^[2] De Laurentis later claimed filming in China was a big mistake.^[17]

Reception

The movie gained poor reviews.^[18][19][20] Chen was nominated for two Golden Raspberry Award as Worst Actress and Worst New Star.

Box office

The movie was not a box office success.^[21]

References

External links

• Tai-Pan at the Internet Movie Database
• Tai-Pan at Box Office Mojo
• Tai-Pan at Rotten Tomatoes
• Tai Pan Film article